(Luke 5:33-34) And they said to Him, “The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same, but Yours eat and drink.” 34 And Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you?
And so, Jesus used the wedding feast theme quite often as a reference to the Millennial kingdom. In this parable, the guests of honor at the wedding feast would be those with a servant's heart...
(Luke 22:24-30) And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. 25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ 26 But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. 27 For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. 28 You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; 29 and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel..."
In the parable of the ten virgins (in Matthew 25), the wedding feast theme is used again. I've heard people apply the following scriptures to us now in this present day and age and the upcoming rapture. In concept, it works as we do need to be "prepared" (we need to be believers) before the afterlife. But this parable was clearly directed to the nation of Israel and the people who will go through the Tribulation.
Remember, (in Matthew 24) the disciples asked Jesus about His second coming. This is a continuation of Jesus' answer. We also need to remember that the Jewish wedding was made up of three states.
1. The first state parallels us in the Church Age becoming believers: the bride would chose her husband, and then the husband and her father would sign the ketubbah contract (the creation of the marriage bond). The couple was 100% married, but did not have sex yet.
2. The second state parallels the Church being raptured: once the groom had let the bride's father know that he had raised the set amount of money (according to the contract), the father set a date for the groom to come over to the bride's home with his companions. While the companions and the bride's maidens waited, the groom took his bride into the chuppah room and they consummated their marriage. Meanwhile, the companions and the maidens celebrated outside or in the next room.
3. The third state parallels Jesus' second coming at the end of the Tribulation to begin the Millennial kingdom: the groom (with his bride) left the chuppah room and led everyone in a procession to the wedding feast. At the end of the wedding feast, the couple had completed the entire marriage ritual.
Often, the procession would be at night. If someone had fallen asleep and didn't hear the commotion, they could miss this entire event. And everyone needed to be ready with their lamps so that they could see their way in the dark and safely find their way to the feast...
(Matthew 25:1-13) “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5 Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
Jesus had given another parable with the wedding feast theme. Here the people (in the Tribulation) are likened to those who have been invited to the celebrations, In order for those to join in the wedding feast (to enter the Millennium), they must accept the invitation and be appropriately dressed (they must be a believer)...
(Matthew 22:1-14) Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4 Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. 7 But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’ 10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.
11 “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Today's takeaway: no one should be jealous of or threatened by another person's devotion to God.
One example of this is when couples are unequally yoked. When the Christian spouse is doing as they should - putting God first in their life, very often the other spouse is jealous or angered, simply because they do not understand. Jesus is God. There should be no other idols before us! There are so many reasons why - if one is a believer - we need to date and marry another believer. Marriage is the most intimate relationship one can have. It shares every aspect of life. It is two becoming one.
Other situations of jealousy can arise when we start to compare our ministries and/or our level of spirituality with others'. We need to keep Jesus as our focus, and humbly do our part, whatever that is. We might not have any idea what sort of impact we are having on those around us when do so. "Success" is when we continually seek after God and His approval by living out His will. So when we see someone else having any sort of visible "success" in helping to build up God's kingdom - we should be thankfully rejoicing over that!!!
Sounds easy enough, but even John the Baptist had to address this sort of jealousy (while referring to Jesus as the bridegroom)...
(John 3:26-36) And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.” 27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 “He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. 33 He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
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